You know that victorious feeling you get when you pay for something with a coupon? Here are 10 ways to get that feeling on just about everything you buy.
10. Automate Your Coupons
Let's start with the obvious: there are already a lot of coupons and deals floating out in the world, and thanks to the internet, you don't need to wait for them in the mail to use them. Install an extension like Coupons at Checkout or Honey and get automatic coupon codes for a ton of retailers all over the web. While you're at it, make sure you're using price alerts, price comparison tools, and newslettters to stay up-to-date on all the products you want to buy. (Of course, if you're still old school, there's something to be said for clipping physical coupons too).
9. Use "Jenny's Number" at the Grocery Store
Most grocery stores have rewards programs, but if you don't want to give out your personal information—or if you're at a store you don't usually shop at—you can still get those rewards discounts. Instead of plugging in your phone number, just plug in "Jenny's number:" 867-5309 (you know, from the song). Most stores will already have this in their system and you'll get the club discounts without the club card. Make sure you aren't wasting money on common groceries, too.
8. Abandon Your Online Shopping Cart
If you aren't in a rush to get something in the mail, put it in your shopping cart and leave it for a day or two. You might get a coupon sent to your email trying to entice you back and check out. A lot of stores—including Best Buy, Home Depot, Zappos, ThinkGeek, Levis, and others—have reportedly used this system in the past, so it's worth a shot!
7. Take Advantage of Cheap Gift Cards
Gift cards aren't just useful for the holidays. Often, you can buy gift cards for less than their listed value from people who don't want them, thus netting you a discount on whatever you use the gift card for. Check out sites Cardpool or Gift Card Granny to see what you can find, or buy them at other places you can get a discount. By doing so, you can effectively get a discount on anything you can buy with a gift card. Check out our complete guide to gift cards for more. Photo by 401(K) 2012.
6. Get a Student Discount...Even If You Aren't a Student
Student discounts are awesome, and if you're currently enrolled in school, you can often get discounts on things from software to laptops to office supplies and more. Of course, if you aren't a student, anymore—but you have flexible ethics—you can still use that old .EDU email address or school ID to get the same discounts forever. Photo credit.
5. Shop for Discounted Software
Speaking of software, student discounts will get you far, but they aren't the only way to get cheaper versions of Windows. Looking for OEM software is often a great way to get discounts, as are the software bundles you always see around the web. Following the developers on Twitter and Facebook helps, too, and keeps you abreast of all their upcoming deals. Of course, you might also try looking for free alternatives, too—often, they're just as good as their paid brethren. Photo remixed from Denis Semenchenko (Shutterstock).
4. Know Your Secret Price Codes
A lot of times, the best deals are right in front of you at the store. Stores constantly discount products for one reason or another, but it's hard to know what's a good deal and what isn't. That's where their secret price codes come into play: if you look at the price tag, you'll see some numbers or symbols that look meaningless, but actually tell you how heavily the item is discounted. Check out these codes for Costco, Target, Home Depot, the Gap, Staples, and others to get up to speed.
3. Learn to Negotiate
You'd be surprised at how much stuff you can negotiate for—it's not just cars and houses. With a few simple tricks up your sleeve, you can get lower prices on anything from hotels to cars to even dental and medical care. The key: do your research beforehand and don't just talk, listen. Chances are they're dropping a lot of clues on where you can negotiate. Check out our guide to negotiating for more. Photo by Broad Bean Media.
2. Click the "Cancel" Button
You've probably heard that you can get discounts for threatening to cancel your service with someone, and we'll talk about that in a moment—what you may not realize is that a lot of web services will offer you a discount just for clicking the "cancel" button on their web site. You don't even need to talk to anyone over the phone. Try cancelling services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Audible, Xbox Live, and others—you might get a discount offer right then and there. Photo by Sebastian Tomus (Shutterstock).
1. Just Ask
When it comes to those bills you pay every month—whether it's cable, cellphone, gym, credit card, or car insurance—you can often get discounts just by asking for them. Just leave yourself a reminder to call every few months and use these tips for each type of service. You'd be surprised how far a little politeness goes.
Photo by Rashevskyi Viacheslav (Shutterstock) and FreshPaint (Shutterstock).